Go Ahead, Spike Your Coffee

Think of your morning routine. The blaring alarm clock. An urge to hide under the covers. A yawn so heavy you could collapse to the floor. Perhaps that cup of coffee will help. Spike it if you must.

There are days when no amount of caffeine is enough to break those morning blues. I wish the universe would text, “today is canceled— go back to bed.” Not even Siri has ever promised me such a luxury.

Don’t lose the butterflies, the eagerness and the excitement that are inevitable with the start of something new.

Disappointment aside, I don’t blame Siri. Or the weak coffee. Not even the lack of Baileys to spike it with. Instead, I blame my morning blues on comfort. The comfort of my bed. My job. My drive into work. The comfort of my coworkers. The expected emails. My daily checklist. Comfort is so kind. Yet, it’s also enough to make me dreadfully hit snooze a half a dozen times in the morning. Comfort can often turn into complacency— which is never good. Life should keep you on your toes.

Over a cup of coffee this week (unspiked, unfortunately), I brainstormed strategies to consciously take me out of my comfort zone. Since I don’t want a new bed, a new career or a new relationship, my brainstorming session looked like a blank piece of paper. I had nothing.

A few days later, a piece of advice my dad has preached for years jumped out to me. He has always said to “go into work each day like it’s your first day on the job.” Meaning, don’t lose the butterflies, the eagerness and the excitement that are inevitable with the start of something new.

Maybe it’s not realistic to live by this mantra every day, so aim for once a week. You can apply this habit to your career, your relationships, your workouts, even your hobbies. Give date night the attention it deserves by planning a surprise. Or, give your fitness routine the shake up it strives on. The discomfort will be just enough to get you out of bed a little faster in the morning. You might still want the spiked coffee, though. Let’s be real— we all do.∗